The Second Book of Kings (WEB)
10: 1Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers
of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up the sons of Ahab, saying, 10:2Now as soon
as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots
and horses, a fortified city also, and armor; 10:3look you out the best and meet of your master's sons,
and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. 10:4But they were exceedingly
afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings didn't stand before him: how then shall we stand? 10:5He
who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who brought
up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us;
we will not make any man king: you do that which is good in your eyes. 10:6Then he wrote a letter
the second time to them, saying, If you be on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the
heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the
king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up. 10:7It
happened, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, even
seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. 10:8There came a
messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. He said, Lay you
them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. 10:9It happened in the morning, that
he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against
my master, and killed him; but who struck all these? 10:10Know now that there shall fall to the earth
nothing of the word of Yahweh, which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for Yahweh
has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah. 10:11So Jehu struck all that remained of the
house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he
left him none remaining. 10:12He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the
shearing-house of the shepherds in the way, 10:13Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of
Judah, and said, Who are you? They answered, We are the brothers of Ahaziah: and we go down
to Greet the children of the king and the children of the queen. 10:14He said, Take them alive. They
took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither
left he any of them. 10:15When he was departed there, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab
coming to meet him; and he greeted him, and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with
your heart? Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me your hand. He gave him his hand; and he
took him up to him into the chariot. 10:16He said, Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh. So
they made him ride in his chariot. 10:17When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to
Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of Yahweh, which he spoke
to Elijah. 10:18Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but
Jehu will serve him much. 10:19Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his
worshippers, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal;
whoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might
destroy the worshippers of Baal. 10:20Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. They
proclaimed it. 10:21Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there
was not a man left that didn't come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was
filled from one end to another. 10:22He said to him who was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments
for all the worshippers of Baal. He brought them forth vestments. 10:23Jehu went, and Jehonadab the
son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look
that there be here with you none of the servants of Yahweh, but the worshippers of Baal only.
10:24They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him eighty men
outside, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his
life shall be for the life of him. 10:25It happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt
offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and kill them; let none come forth.
They struck them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and
went to the city of the house of Baal. 10:26They brought forth the pillars that were in the house of
Baal, and burned them. 10:27They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal,
and made it a latrine, to this day. 10:28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. 10:29However from the
sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu didn't depart from after
them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. 10:30Yahweh said to Jehu,
Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to the
house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on
the throne of Israel. 10:31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel,
with all his heart: he didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.
10:32In those days Yahweh began to cut off from Israel: and Hazael struck them in all the borders of
Israel; 10:33from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and
the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. 10:34Now
the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren't they written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 10:35Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in
Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 10:36The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in
Samaria was twenty-eight years.
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